Agustin Estrada
From: Allen Amnobu|o^aUen_enambu|a@outookzom>
Sent: Monday, January 13'2U3511:09PK4
To: Downey City Clerk - Public Comment; Downey Planning Commission Public Comment Cc: [email protected]
Subject: RESPONSE TOOFFICIAL NOTICE OFPUBLIC HEARING: PUBLIC WRITTEN COMMENT (GOV565O09) Attachments: 01 13-2025 (S) RESPONSE LETTER TOCITY OFOOVVNEY.pdf Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Flagged
Dear City of Downey,
Please see attached Response&oOfficial Notice ofPublic Hearing entitled, "PUBLIC COMMENT:
OBJECTION TDPROPOSED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT Thank you,
AlkoArambula
0335Gardcodu|e St.
Downey, C}l9U242
ALLEN ARAMBULA
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 103, Huntington Park, CA 90255 Email: allen—[email protected]
January 13, 2025
City of Downey
Community Development Departme
Building & Safety 'I
11111 Brookshire Avenue
Downey, CA 90241
Email- ksodetarukdqwpe q
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This public comment is in reference to a matter of concern regarding the proposed location for affordable housing located at: 8335 Gardendale Street, Downey, CA 90242.
I am presenting an objection to your proposed location for the following reasons:
(1) The notice of the proposed location entitled, City of Downey —Official Notice of Public Hearing, lacks sufficient information as to the reason and/or manner in which the location was selected. The location selected appears to be arbitrary, capricious or without a rational basis, as no information was provided for its selection in the Notice of Public Hearing. Without sufficient information upon which to make a determination, the location appears to be unfit for an affordable housing residential development for the following reasons:
a. Insufficient information has been provided to property owner(s) in the Notice of Public Hearing for a determination to be made as to whether any action by the local government agency to add a property to one of the proposed Overlay Zones, as stated in its notice, would be harmful in any manner to property owner. b. Placement of affordable housing on a major street can increase nuisance to nearby retailers and residents. The property location selected to be added to one of the Overlay Zones as stated in the notice appears to be insufficiently fit to prevent and ensure health and safety standards. (DOWNEY, CA, MUNICIPAL CODE § SR 0.60 Health and Safety: Nuisance abatement (2024)" There are two retailers located on Gardendale Street, a major street in the city of Downey, 7-ELEVEN (Adjacent to the proposed location) and SUPER A FOODS grocery retailer (Located Across the proposed location) that may be adversely affected from placement of affordable housing within the proximate vicinity of their location. Development in the location can have an adverse effect on commerce, a decrease or loss in retail, and/or an increase in nuisance or crime, which is not in the public's best interest and would not ensure public peace and safety, (DOWNEY, CA, MUNICIPAL CODE § SR.070 Public Peace, Morals and Welfare (2024)"
c. It is not common practice for affordable housing in the city of Downey to be placed on major streets and the city should not do so. It is not common or a past practice of the city of Downey to build affordable housing on a major street such as Gardendale Street. Previous housing developments such as, Village Walk located at 8134 3d St, Downey, CA 90241 and Downey View located at 8314 2 d Street, Downey, CA 90241, have been placed in inner residential areas rather than major streets. Placing affordable housing on a major street would stifle economic growth and would not accurately represent the commercial goals and values of the city. (2) The City of Downey should carefully consider the effects of integrating low-income individuals into a high -income neighborhood though affordable housing when property crime is at a rise. While some studies show that affordable housing may not contribute to an increase in crime or a decrease in property values,' other studies show that low-income neighborhoods are more likely to be affected by crime and property crime than high -income neighborhoods.' The City of Downey is a high -income neighborhood but is at a risk of being affected by property crime unlike it ever has. As petty theft crime is on the rise in California, retailers have had to resort to unprecedented ways to mitigate financial losses, such as locking up items at their stores. Retailers will continue to do this unless a more a careful consideration is given to the effects of integrating low-income individuals into high -income neighborhoods.
Rite Aid: Walmart Neighborhood Market:
107 S Long Beach Blvd, 12270 Paramount Blvd,
Compton, CA 90221 Downey, CA 90242
Hipp, J. Iliff, C.; Owens, E.; Tita, G., Williams, S., (2022) The Impact of Affordable Housing On Housing & Crime In Orange County, (UCI) Livable Cities Lab (LCL), 1-21. 2 See: https:Hodphp.health.gov/healthypeople (Search: Social Determinants of Health Literature Summaries: Crime and Violence), citing: Kang, S. (2016). Inequality and crime revisited: Effects of local inequality and economic segregation on crime. Journal of Population Economics, 29(2), 593-626.
For the reasons stated herein, the proposed location at 8335 Gardendale Street, Downey, CA 90242, should not be added to -one of the Overlay Zones and no residential development should be built therein. An alternative location may be of better interest and benefit to the city of [Powney.
ALLEN ARAMBULA
MANAGERJAGENT
8335 Gardendale Street,
Downey, CA 90242
Email: allen—[email protected]
APN: 6263033019
ARAMBULA,LUIS AND CATALINA
8335 GARDENDALE ST
DOWNEY CA 90242
January-2, 2-025
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of Downey will cc ' nduct a public hearing on, Tuesday, January 14, 2-025, at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers of Downey it ,Hall, 11111 Brookshire Avenue, Downey 90241 to consider the following request:
The proposed overlay zones are follows:
- Housing Overlay #1 (HOU 1) will allow residential development at a density of 18-40 units per acre and will only be applied to R-3 RHNA rezoning sites identified in the Housing Element. It does not apply to the full -R-3zone.
- Housing Overlay #2 (HOU 2) will allow development at 30 units per acre and will only be applied to Mixed Use, Corridor Residential Overlay, and Specific Plan RHNA rezoning sites identified in the Housing Element.
PROJECT LOCATION: Specific Properties Citywide — If you are receiving this notice, your property in Downey is amongst those to be added to one of the Overlay Zones,
Maps indicating the location of specific properties to be rezoned can be found here: Ds:11Www
APPLICATION TYPE: Zone Change, Zoning Text Amendment, and Negative Declaration, As required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), a Negative Declaration has been prepared and found no impacts or less than significant impacts related to Aesthetics, Biological Resources, Cultural Resources, Geology and Soils, Hazards and Hazardous Materials, Noise, Tribal Cultural Resources, Greenhouse Gases, Land Use/Planning,
Population/Housing, Traffic, Agriculture, Mineral Resources, Public Services/Recreation, Utilities, Air Quality, Water Quality, And Wildfire$. The primary reason why no impacts are anticipated is because the proposed actions �are administrative in nature and do not involve physical development. As noted in the IS/ND, all future residential development proposals within the Housing Overlay Zones would be subject to City staff review to determine the appropriate level of site -specific CEQA review and analysis. The negative declaration was made available ... ♦,... » ,. 9s .. ! ,. ... M ..<' — • O -... i e .. i'" � it .... . • iF •:" !t ,. ,.21, r_
For more information contact Principal Planner Alfonso Hernandez or Senior Planner Abraham NOTE:; STATE GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 65009 NOTICE: if you challenge the proposed actions in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the Planning Commission via email, prior to the public hearing.
Agustin Estrada
From: Jim Rodriguez
Sent: Wednesday, January 8, 2025 7:53 PM
To: City Clerk
Subject: Jim Rodriguez
Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Flagged
Jim Rodriguez
10456 Stamps Rd
Downey, CA 90241
January 8, 2025
Subject: Request to Exclude the MacDougall Residence at Cherokee and Downey Avenue from the Proposed Overlay Zoning (North East Corner)
Dear Honorable City Council Members,
I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the proposed overlay rezoning for the property at the corner of Cherokee Avenue and Downey Avenue, known as the McDougall Residence. This historic property, which serves as the gateway and landmark entrance to the Cherokee Estates neighborhood, is currently zoned R-3. Under the proposed overlay, its zoning would change to allow up to 20 residential units on its half -acre lot.
I would have liked to attend the City Council meeting to speak in person about this matter, but unfortunately, I will be out of town. I am therefore submitting this letter to be read during Public Comment to ensure my concerns are heard.
This property is a cornerstone of our neighborhood's character, and its unique location and historical significance make it unsuitable for such high -density development. As the entry point to Cherokee Estates, the mansion plays an irreplaceable role in preserving the aesthetic and cultural identity of our community. Allowing a 20-unit development on this lot would fundamentally alter the neighborhood's integrity and diminish the gateway's beauty.
There are already other lots on Downey Avenue included in the overlay proposal that are more appropriate for higher -density development. These lots are inset from the corner and do not impact the entrance to Cherokee Estates. I believe they should remain as part of the overlay proposal while the MacDougall property, given its unique role as a gateway, should be excluded.
The current owner of the MacDougall Residence has also expressed opposition to the rezoning proposal. She strongly believes in maintaining the integrity of the neighborhood and preserving the historic structure as it stands today.
While she understands that the rezoning could increase the land's value for a potential future sale by her heirs, she feels this would come at the expense of the neighborhood's character and would make it more likely for a developer to replace the home with high - density apartments. She fully supports the exclusion of her property from the overlay proposal to better protect the neighborhood's identity.
Preserving the existing R-3 zoning ensures that, even in the unlikely event of a future sale, the property would remain more accessible to buyers who wish to maintain and restore the historic home. If the rezoning were approved, the increased land value would make it
far more likely for developers to outbid families or individual homeowners, pricing out those who might otherwise preserve the home and its character.
I have spoken with other neighbors in Cherokee Estates who share my concerns. We strongly believe that maintaining the existing zoning for this lot is crucial to preserving the integrity and character of our neighborhood.
I respectfully urge you to exclude the MacDougall property from the proposed overlay zoning. Please consider the long-term impact this decision will have on our neighborhood's identity and quality of life.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I would be happy to discuss this further and provide additional input from my neighbors.
Sincerely,
Jim Rodriguez
(562)644-1759
10456 Stamps Rd
Agustin Estrada
From: Sergio Proa
Sent: Tuesday, December 10, 2024 5:45 PM
To: Downey City Clerk - Public Comment
Subject: Furman lights at baseball fields
Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Completed
Wanted to get an update on the Furman baseball lights and see when the project will be started? Have not seen any updates as the funds were previously allocated. Appreciate an update as we have waiting way too long.
Thanks
Sergio Proa
7143184731
Sent from my iPhone